The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-01-06

COulQ 6tauu, auu ue Faulsueu aiuos'
instantly.
Then my wife's eyes were bent upon
my face, so searchingly and so yearning.
ly that pressed her passionately to my
breast and covered her face with kisses
"You still love me-you still trust
me?" she cried.
eyes; more than ever BEFORE"
"How hard your tenderness makes my
duty p she gasped. eff I was not such
coward-was not so much afraid OF
losing some portion of your love-I
would now tell you that which was due
you a year ago."
"Do not speak of it or think Of it." ]
answered. $50 long as you love me, and
are happy with me, I am satisfied"
zone thing 1 must say" she said, "else
our love will soon be desolated. You
must be with me on the next anniversary
of this night, and must keep your arms
about me from sunset until midnight.
After that l will forever be SAFE"
was puzzled, amazed and bewildered
by the whole affair; but the subject dis
tressed and panied her, and I loved her
too we'll to let her talk about it. And,
lest she should fathom my Thoughts, I
kept the uncanny mystery as much as
possible out of my mind.
Two months later we went to live in
France, and finally in Germany. Except
ing a month another year had passed
since our wedding.
One day at the beginning Of this last
month, I was walking alone in The forest,
when ] suddenly caught one foot under
some hard substance which nearly flung
me upon my face. Glancing back at the
cause of possible disaster, I saw, partially
imbeded in the ground, thin oval plate,
which seemed to have several words en-.
graved upon one side. Picking it up, /
found that it was made of silver, and that
it was very old. The inscription, which
was in Italian, was as follows:
Michael Spezzi,
Claimed by the Devil,
June 10, 1860.
On my way home met German sa-
want with whom I was intimate. show
ed him the plate, and was surprised 10
see an expression of the most intense
horror come upon bis face.
"There is terrible story connected
with this thing" he said, after moment.
"Micbael Spezzi was a half German, half
Italian, who came here into the Martz
Mountains about 1880. lie was of royal
blood, and married niece of the King.
Five years later daughter was born to
them, and soon afterward they fell into
dislavor with the King and went to live
in France. But when Spczzi's beautiful
daughter was about 25 disaster again
came upon him. He had no alternative,
so history says, except appealing to the
devil. The fend came in answer to
Spezzi's incautation, and promised him
everything he wanted. The price de-.
manded was the soul Of Spezzi's beloved
daughter. After time the unfortunate
man signed the compact, but within a
month he repented having done so, and
begged that his own soul might be sacri.
feed instead of his daughters. The devil
consented upon certain conditions.
Spezzi was to yield himself to the cum
ming 6end at the end of q year. The
girls youth and beauty were to be per.
petual for 500 years. If, at the end of
that time, she was still virgin, her soul
was to be free, and the soul of her father
was also to be relipquished from torment.
In the mean time, If the girl found any
man, who, knowing that she was in the
devils grip, would still love and marry
her, that would end the Internal compact,
and she and kcr father would both te
free. Even then the devil was still 10
have three chances. If, on the night she
first met her lover, he failed to clasp her
in his arms, in defiance of the DEVILS
presence, the fend could then claim her
soul. On the first and second anniver.
saries of that night the devil would also
have the same awful power unless she
was in either ber husbands or her lovers
arms. If she passed these three ordeals
safely the compact would be ended and
the devil foiled.
"That is the story. It is said that the
devil came for Spezzi, and that his rela-
tives put this very silver plate upon his
tomb, which was made in some unknown
corner in the Hartz Mountains. Nobody
knows what befell the daughter. 1t is
very singular, though, THAT you should
ha We found the plate; it has been Lost "a
long"
My learned friend went on talking
upon other subjects, but l scarcely heard
word be said. My whole mind waE
full of the story that be had told me.
1t was now all perfectly clear to me-
The supposed legend was true, and bad
really married the daughter of the illfat.
ed Michael Spezzil Instead of being
Mortified, was filled with a deep sense
of gladness that had brought 30 much
happiness into such an oyershadowed life
My manner toward my wife was ever
more tender than ever after that, and she
seemed instinctively to feel that at last
knew all.
The day before the anniversary upon
which so much depended, I was strolling
about in the mountains when my right
leg was broken by slight fall. at first
could not move, but late in the night
some of my strength returned and be-
gan crawling homeward. I had many
miles to go, and some of the journey had
to be made-by almost impossible paths
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